Customer Reviews

Life Enigma

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was stunned by a review I read at this site attributing the words "mediocrity" and "sterile" to this album. Anyone who follows Jean-Luc Ponty's contribution would recognize this falsehood. Ponty's range and musical integrity are huge and his creativity far exceeds most world-class jazz artists of our time. Life Enigma is a rich, subtle,and beautiful work- a culmination of Ponty's timeless repertoire and true personal expression. His creativity even extends to using Pat Metheny-like sounds in his own musical context (beautiful). African melodies are put on hold - though not the percussion. This album is about Ponty's prime directive: sublime mystery and joy as interpretation of his own life's experiences - expressed frequently through an earthy, hypnotic beat. Ponty himself says that he returns on this album to his melodic and harmonic style of the 70s and 80s but with "his best ever sound production" (state-of-the-art, 24-bit digital, computer-aided recording) including acoustic sounds and a "rhythm section a lot more percussion oriented". The style may harken back to the 70's or 80's but this is definitely new music -Ponty has matured and developed and his music has a new level of integration and sophistication which is far reaching, gorgeous and unsurpassed.

I have just listened to Life Enigma for the third time in a row.It is fantastic!I've been a fan since the early 70's.This album has all the great elements of a classic Ponty album-great melodies,beautiful harmonic changes,driving rythms, vituoso performances and cutting edge production and sound quality.The more I listen the better it gets!Bravo Jean-Luc!

It's really interesting to hear the different things going on musically here that Jean-Luc Ponty does. On a few songs like "Two Thousand-One Years Ago" and "Lonely Among All," Ponty goes solo and plays violin (obviously), keyboards and electronic percussion. That gives them some air and room to breathe. But his talented band is featured on several songs too, and my favorite cuts here are "Signals From Planet Earth" and "Firmament" as well as "The Infinite Human Caravan," "Life Enigma" and "Even The Sun Will Die." Since Ponty is unique as a jazz violinist, to hear him play with his band in a jazz structure is somehow both familiar and fresh. The sound quality is amazing too -- crisp and rich. Ponty's violin has a very warm sound, even when hitting high notes. I think "Life Enigma" is one of those records that rewards listeners with repeated listenings because each time I've listened to it, something new has jumped out at me.

I believe Jean-Luc POnty has come full circle. If you read any recent interview concerning this spectacular album you'll understand why it is probably his last studio album. Everything here is wonderful. From the opening understated precussion on One-thousand and one years ago to the laid back dreaminess of LIfe Enigma, to the synocopated catchiness of Signals from Planet Earth, or to the lonliness of Lonely Among all, there is something for everyone. My only criticism is that is not a return to the past by any means. There are what two guitar solos top? The only real similarity the days of Cosmic Messenger is the chord progress ON signals from Planet Earth. Ever compare it Don't Let the world pass you by? Striking similarities there. Overall awesome! Just not a return, if anything it is a sense of completion and deep maturity are evident here...A must buy for all loyal Ponty fans.

I live for this kind of music. Been a fan and artist of this kind of music for nearly 30 years. Finally, good to see someone from this era returning to the good stuff... ;-)

I would have put 5 stars, but I know Ponty has a little more fire left under the hood... maybe next time there will be a little more from the rest of the AWESOME team he put together in the past (Zavod, Holdsworth, etc.)

For my taste, Cosmic Messenger was always the deepest, then Enigmatic Ocean, Imaginary Voyage and Aurora, in that order. But I miss the interaction between keys, guitars, and elec. violin.

Nice stuff, let's go even deeper!

It's difficult to describe the effects of Ponty's music in terms of mere notes and rhythms alone. More akin to the transmission of consciousness than songs, Ponty transcends the ordinary with Life Enigma, leaving (once again) smoothe jazz artists in his Cosmic dust.

If you combine the musicianship of "No Absolute Time" with the conceptualism of "Cosmic Messenger", you'll be within a ballpark of describing "Life Enigma". Ponty's added new intangibles, making this recording singularly unique, but still reminiscent of others. Definitely worth owning.

It was worth the wait. Finally his new album reminds us why he is among the Jazz gods of all time....

Life Enigma is worth listening to from beginning to end. The classic Jean Luc violin sounds full and on many different levels within his songs.
This disc is completely satisfying. You can count on listening to this music MANY times and enjoying every one of them.
Thanks for the great music Jean Luc!

Jean-Luc Ponty's latest album is a revelation.
He is playing with musical ideas and directions not only from jazz but from his own definitions of music - and the album is full of hauntingly beautiful moments.
You can hear how much Jean-Luc enjoyed making this album perfect without the stress of a dead-line... - and needless to say, Jean-Luc's violin has never sounded better - he really jumps out into fantastic soli with his usual, sublime control - sheer bliss.
Three of the 10 cuts are solo efforts from Jean-Luc, in which he also takes care of keyboards, electronic drums etc. himself - and he does that beautifully too!
I cannot recommed this album strongly enough - a must-have!

I got this for Christmas and I was so excited I played it right away. What I heard was an awesome JLP album. This album blends JLP's characteristic playing of the 70s with his computer work in the 80s. Unlike most of the 80s albums, the computer and synthesisers don't get in the way of his violin. Awesome. I now see why it took him 7 years between albums.